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Search Tips Explanations Examples
BOOLEAN OPERATORS AND (Default) - It is not necessary to specify "and", as this is the default search. In other words, searching - world wide web - will search for each of these words in any order. To search it as a phrase, use quotes - "world wide web".

Use "or" to expand your search; e.g. to find records that contain either world wide web or internet

Use parentheses to group words when using multiple operators

Use "and not" to exclude words Caution!


  • world wide web censorship - is the same as
  • world and wide and web and censorship



  • "world wide web" or internet
  • ("world wide web" or internet) and censorship
  • polar and not bear
    •
PHRASE Use quotes to search multiple words one phrase.
  • "Western Washington University"
  • "environmental policy"
FIELDS Specify fields to search, using field codes. Fields available for this database are:


a: (for author)
t: (for title)
s: (for subjects)
n: (for notes and additional keywords).

  • a: twain and t: eden
  • a: asimov and s: astronomy
COMMON WORDS Common words, such as OF and THE, are indexed and must be entered in the search statement.

Phrases in your search that include boolean operators, (AND, OR, AND NOT, for example), must be enclosed in quotation marks.

  • "gone with the wind"

  • "good and evil"
TRUNCATION
Use an asterisk * to truncate from 1 - 5 characters.

Use an question mark ? to replace a single character

Use a double asterisk ** for open-ended truncation.

  • environment* and policy
    This will find words that begin with environment plus up to 5 additional letters, e.g. environments, environmental, etc.
  • wom?n
  • fyodor dost**
PROXIMITY OPERATORS Use "near" to specify words within 10 words of each other, in any order.

Use "within #" to specify terms which occur within so many words of each other in the record.

  • environment* near policy

  • environment* within 3 policy


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